Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-06-18
INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
A Flatboat Load of Contrabands Wal
ing to lowed to Freedom.

A Flatboat Load of Contrabands Wait
ing to lowed to Freedom.
AS we returned down the Yazoo, at
every possible point where he river could
be reached there were throngs of negro
families waiting to be taken away.
Many of them had flat boats in which
they were already embarked, ready to
fasten line to the returning Federal
boats and be lowed down the river and
to freedom.
l remember one instance connected
with this hegira that was somewhat out
of the usual course of events. At one
point where the Silver Wave halted
there was an immense encampment of
negroes with their scanty furniture wait
ing for removal. Attached to the shore
was large flatboat, which lay just at
the stern of the steamer ! happened to
be lounging in that portion of the boat,
and was attracted by the character Of the
contents of the fatboat. There were at
least twenty colored people in it, of all
ages and both sexes. In the stern sat a
venerable African, who at once attracted
my attention. He had q heavy beard
and very thick hair, which, with his
dense eyebrows, were as white as wool.
There was something noble and impress
sive in his face and position, and interest
in him was increased as saw that he
was sightless. He was grand as he sat
there; grand in his years, which must
have been close to century; grand in
the immobility of his countenance, the
repose of his position, in his helpless
blindness, and IA perceptible expression
of patience and hope that characterized
his features.
The other people in the boat were prob
ably his descendants. There was white
headed woman who was his daughter,
then a stalwart man and a woman who
must have been his grandchildren, and
then host of children of all ages from
20 down to little pickaninny lying on
its back that sucked its thumb, kicked up
its heels and gazed with its black, bead
like eyes into vacancy. They were all
chattering, laughing, screaming in the
exuberance Of their delight. Freedom
was before them and the world was
ablaze with the glory of anticipation.
Only the patriarch was silent; to him
there perhaps mingled with the hope Of
the future recollection of the old home
and the old life. The deep grown roots
of his existence could not be easily ex-
tracted from the soil Of the south, and
yet there was glow on his face such as
must have come over the faces Of the
wandering tribes as they stood on Nebo
and their weary eyes took in the spread
ing fields and the fertile plains Of tn
promised land.
A line was dropped from the deck of
the steamer to the fatboat and made fast,
The next moment the wheel began to re-
volve. 1t threw back waves which en-
veloped the fatboat, and then, as the
speed increased, the fiat bow of the latter
was drawn under, and the entire boat
with all its human freight, its infancy,
its years, its hopes, disappeared under
the greenish waters of the Yazoo. As
far as could see the locality watched
for some sign Of the engulfed unfortu-
mates, but not even a rag, fragment of
any kind, came to the surface. The cruel
waters held them fast, and not even a
ripple disturbed the placid surface above
their place of disappearance.
Nothing that l saw during the war
shocked me as did this occurrence. Res
cne was impossible; the boat did not even
top. 1t steamed swiftly away, and I
felt in my heart that another and hum
bier Moses had died at the moment of an
ticipated deliverance.-"Poliuto'' in Chi
cago Times.